Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Memory Changes and Dementia as We Age Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Memory changes as you get older can seem to pop up out of nowhere. One day your fine, the next thing you know is you are walking into a room and have no idea …
General Heart Health as We Age Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I have talked about how we can keep both our cholesterol levels and blood pressure healthy as we age. But what if your heart is already healthy? How do you keep your heart healthy as …
Cholesterol as We Age
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Every year you most likely go to your doctor for a physical exam and routine blood work. When you look over your blood work you may notice something called a lipid panel or cholesterol panel. Your doctor will often say things such as your cholesterol is looking great or in other case’s you may hear your cholesterol is starting to go up a bit. But what does that all even mean? What even is cholesterol? What can you do to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels? It’s a lot to cover so let’s get into it, shall we?
What is cholesterol? Basically it’s a type of lipid that your body needs to work properly. For example cholesterol helps to from a protective cover around our cells. This cover acts as a guard only allowing certain things to enter the cell. Cholesterol is also important in making bile and bile as we know helps breakdown food that we eat. Cholesterol is also the building block for hormones and even vitamin D!
Typically when you get your blood work you will see different types of cholesterol listed. These are usually HDL (known as “good” cholesterol”), LDL and VLDL (both of these are “bad” cholesterol) and Non-HDL cholesterol. (1) In addition to these numbers you will also see triglycerides. These triglycerides are a type of fat that we get from food or can produce from things such as excess sugar. Triglyceride’s like LDL and VLDL are considered “bad” if they are higher than optimum. (2)
But what makes HDL “good” and the other forms of cholesterol and its buddy triglycerides “bad”? The difference between HDL and LDL is in what they do. Cholesterol needs to travel around the body via HDL and LDL/VLDL. HDL is called the good cholesterol because it brings the cholesterol to the liver where it can be processed. (3) LDL and VLDL are considered “bad” because they can contribute to plaque buildup in the blood vessels. (1, 4)Triglycerides are considered “bad” because they can increase the risk of heart disease and even increase the risk of pancreatitis. (2) Please see the below chart for normal and high HDL, LDL and Triglycerides. Total cholesterol should optimally be under 200. (1-4)
| HDL | LDL | Triglycerides | |
| Normal levels | 40 to 80 mg/dL (males) or 50 to 80 mg/dL (females) | Below 100 mg/dL is normal and 100 mg/dl – 129mg/dl is considered elevated but not yet high | Adults 19+ Under 150mg/dl
Under 19 Under 90mg/dl |
| Mild High levels | Above 80 mg/dL (everyone) | 130 – 159 mg/DL | 150-199 mg/dl |
| Moderate High levels | 160 – 189 mg/dL | 200-499mg/dl | |
| Severe High levels | 190 mg/dL or higher | Greater than 500mg/dl | |
| Low levels | Low HDL below 40mg/dl for men and below 50mg/dl for women |
How do you know if your cholesterol is too high? It’s important to get your yearly blood work so you can catch high cholesterol that is starting to elevate rather than wait until it is already high. I know what you’re thinking, that’s great but what are some symptoms that show cholesterol maybe high? Symptoms can include chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, poor appetite, headaches, vision changes, numbness, nausea, swollen feet and even yellow nodules on the skin. Women may also experience neck or jaw pain, dizziness, weakness or burning in the arms and even mood changes such as unexplained anxiety or irritability. (5) However I do want to emphasize that in many people high cholesterol can be absolutely asymptomatic. This is why it’s important to get regular blood work.
In addition to knowing what cholesterol is in my mind it’s very important to know what are the risk factors for developing high cholesterol. Age as we know is a common risk factor for high cholesterol. As you age your cholesterol levels rise. For us ladies we know that the changes in our hormones that we experience at menopause can also impact cholesterol levels. A family history of high cholesterol or lipid metabolism disorder that you inherit as well as being of certain nationalities can also increase your risk of high cholesterol. Having HIV can also increase cholesterol. Other common risk factors include diets high in fat and sugar as well as a lack of exercise. High cholesterol can also be impacted by excessive alcohol intake, smoking and even certain meds. Certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, RA and even obesity can all impact cholesterol. (1-4)
Last but not least why is cholesterol so important? High cholesterol can increase risk of heart disease. For example metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, carotid artery disease, coronary artery disease, PAD and even the risk of strokes can all increase! High cholesterol can also lead to atherosclerosis. Having high cholesterol can also increase heart attack risk. (1-4) Having high cholesterol can have many complications for your overall heart health. But there’s a lot you can do to help your cholesterol!
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Falling Into Fall written by: Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) As the children return to school our exposure to seasonal crud increases. We traded summer sunshine for crowded indoor spaces and recycled air. Then comes the holidays laden with sugary treats; candy, pies, …
Heart Health As We Age (part 1) Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Keeping our hearts healthy as we age is an important part of healthy aging. However heart health is a huge topic that can take forever to go over! For the sake of this blog …
What is Healthy Aging?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Healthy aging is one of those new trendy buzz words that tends to pop up all over social media. Due to this popularity I wanted to do a new series on this topic. But what even is healthy aging? Before we can really dive into this topic it is a great idea to start at the beginning by talking about what we even mean by healthy aging. Let us get into it, shall we?
Everyone gets older. We go from being infants to toddlers, children to teens and before you know it middle age approaches and then bam you qualify for a senior discount! But not everyone ages the same way. There are 5 pillars of healthy aging. One goal of these pillars is to maintain your overall wellbeing. Another goal of these 5 pillars is to maintain productivity and activity level. Another of the goals of these 5 pillars is to promote being able to maintain your independence. Lastly these 5 pillars of healthy aging also work towards the more obvious goal of maintaining a strong, healthy body and reducing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease. And of course, we can’t forget how healthy aging involves our overall mental health as well as our physical health.
All that being said, what are the 5 pillars of healthy aging? The first pillar is nutrition! A nutritious eating plan affects all aspects of our health both physically and mentally. The more nutritious your diet is the easier it is for your body to handle age-related illnesses.
The second pillar of healthy aging is physical activity. Physical activity can help maintain a strong body. Exercise can also help with mental health as you age. As we also know, exercise can help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.
Social engagement is the 3rd pillar of healthy aging and is considered an important aspect of overall health. In fact, studies have shown how seniors who have a healthy active social life are less likely to have chronic illnesses. They are less likely to develop physical disabilities and even mental illness.
The 4th pillar of healthy aging is mental stimulation. In fact research has shown that seniors that engage in activities that provide mental stimulation can reduce the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by up to 65%! Remember healthy brains are important for healthy aging.
Lastly, the 5th pillar of healthy aging is to maintain meaningful activities and relationships. Studies have found that maintaining healthy connections can improve overall health and well-being. (1) Throughout this series on aging we will review the most common aspect of aging and how you can age in health. Here are some fun ways to incorporate different Invite nutrients into your diet to stay healthy! And as I always say don’t be afraid to experiment. Have fun!
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